Weft detector in loom transferrers



Aug. 7, 1928.

' 1,679,640 K. J. uNwlN WEFT DETECTOR IN LOOM TRANSFERRERS Filed Nov. o, 192'/ f 45 lllll =...43 J1 Jo ,y a, [5w

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diffe/ngu- Patented Aug. 7, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATNTfoFl-lca KENNETH J'. UNWIN, 0F WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO CROMPTON &

KNOWLES LOOM WORKS, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

WEET DETECTOR TN LOOM TRANSFERRERS.

Application led November 10, v1927. Serial No. 232,425.

This invention relates to improvements in weft detectors for regularly moving transferrer arms and it is the principal object of the invention to provide a side slipping weft detector which shall be moved as a unit in a direction substantially parallel to the bobbin being detected and at the same time so contiolled and actuated as to provide maximumr clearance between the front wall of the shuttle and the detecting element as the lay moves rearwardly.

In co-pending application Ser. No. 232,432 filed by Cederlund there is set forth a trans-k ferrer arm on which is slidably mounted a detector carrier movable in the direction of the length of the bobbinbeing detected. The purpose of this construction is to prevent the angular motion of the detecting element with respect to the transferrer arm such as has heretofore been customary in side slipping weft detectors in transferrer arms. In that application the detector is held yieldingly in its lowest position so that as thejtransferrer arm rises the detecting element does not move upwardly immediately but remains in low position until some time after the tranferrer arm starts its upward movement. The result of this is Y to lessen the clearance between the detecting the clement and the front wall of the shuttle and it is an important object of my present invention to provide a side slipping weft. detector mounted on a sliding carrier which shall be normally inl raised position andwill be lowered into contact with the yarn being detected so that as the transferrer arm starts upwardly after reaching its lowest position the detector element will also immediately rise to provide increased clearance with the front wall of the shuttle.

It is al further object of the invention to provide means for moving the detecting` element downwardly into engagement with the yarn before the transferrerA arm arrives at weighted element which tends to move the detector carrier and the detector in a direction parallel'to the bobbin after the trans-V ferrer arm has reached the lower limit of its travel and after the detecting element is in contact withthe yarn.

"With'these and other object-s in view which will appear as the description proceeds,rmy invention resides in the combination and bottom of its stroke and also to employfa.

arrangement of' parts hereinafter described and set forth'in the claims. Y

In the accompanying drawings wherein one y.formof my invention is shown,

Fig.- lis a vertical section through that part of the transferrer arm which'extends over the bobbin, the parts being in the posi-` tionl they assume when there is a sufficient supply of weftv and thetransferrer arm is inV l its lowest position,

Fig. 2 is a view 'similar to Fig. 1 but with the parts moved to the position they assume lwhptny indicating substantial exhaustion of we f Figs. 3 and 4 are vertical sections on line 3-3 and 4 4, respectively, of Fig.11 looking in the direction of the arrows, and

Fig. 5y is a fragmentary top plan view taken inthe direction of arrow 5Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings thetransferrer arm 1() is provided-with a horizontal extension 11 havingv spaced vertical walls 12 which delinea vertical slot 13 in which are housedthe .detecting and indicating mecha-A nisms. An indicating plunger 14 is slidable in bearings l15 and 16 carried bythe transferrer arm, the bearing 16 being mounted in a web 17 which connectsthe vwalls 12.l An

indicating lever 18 is provided adjacentone end of the transferrer arm as shown in Figs.

1 and 2 and is the means by which the indication of weft exhaustion is communicated to the weft replenishing mechanism not shown but well known in the art.

A compression spring 19 surrounds a portion of the plunger 14 and lies between a pin 2() in said plunger and theforked arm 21 of an actuator 22 pivoted on'a pin 23 secured in the walls 12. Said actuator is provided with a pair of spaced weighted arms 24 as shown in Figs. 1, 4 and and which lie to one side of the pivot pin 23.y lThis actuator is also provided with a stop portion 25 which connects the weighted arms 24 and raised position of the stop portion 25. rilhis carrier also has a pair olf spaced horizontal arms 29 in which is mounted for vertical yielding movement the detecting element 30 which as shown in lT 5 may be Mijoimed of sheet metal. The lower end ot this detecting element extends horizontally as at 31 and is provided with teeth 32 which cooperate with the yarn to prevent movement of the carrier and detector element in a horizontal direction substantially parallel to the bobbin B when suiiicient weft is present. rlfhe matter thus tar described is shown in a co-pendmg application No; 232,422, iiledfby l/.Vakeiield and forms no part oi my present invention except that the weighted arms 2a are separated to deline a space for an operating element to be described hereinafter whereas in the above llilakelield application a single weight has been used.

ln carrying my invention into ellect I pivot a depiessor lever 10 on a pin l1 eX- tending between the walls 12 and proJeet thesaiiie to the right having an offset lug 42 positioned for engagement witii a yielding trip 13 of the type shown in patent to'ltyon No. 1,551,219. Said depressor lever is eX- tended between the weighted arms 2/1- as shown in Figs. 1, 4 and 5 and also extends through a slot la formed in the carrier 26 by striking out the stop iinger 28. The lett end ot said depressor lever is forked as at l5 to deline a space through which the upper endoi the detector element 30 extends. washer L8 is held against the bottom of the lork by means ot a pin 47 and a coinpression spring 4 8 interposed between lsaid pin and the lower horizontal arm 29 oit the ai-rior 2G. T he dual eli'ect el said spring L18 is to hold both the detector element 30 and the leit end olf the depressor lever 4l() in yielding raised position.

ln operation the transiterrer arm when in raisedy position would start its downward movement with the weighted actuator in its normal position indicated in dotted lines in llig. 1 relatively to the transiierrer arm and with the stop portion 25 in horizontal alignment with the stop linger 28 thereby holding the plunger 14 to the left as viewed in Fig. l in non-indicating position and with the compression spriiiggll holding the detector and the lett end ol the depressor lever in raised position. is the transiei'i'er arm descends the lug will engage the yielding trip L13 to cause the lett end ol the depressor lever to move downwardly against the washer 41:8 and the pin 4l? passing through the dectcctor element 30. in this way the detector is movedfroin its normally raised position to its lower or detecting position at some time prior to the arrival ot the transei'rcr arm at the bottom of its stroke and as the transerrer continues to move down- Wardly the teeth 32 will engage the bobbin and if su'liicient yarn is present will be eiii bedded therein.

lVlien the transiceirer arm reaches lthe lower limit et its movement the weighted arms 24C being 'lree to move about the pin `23 will continue to move downwardly because of their momentum and in doing so will move the forked arm 21 to the right as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 to lurther compress the spring 19 and also to cause the stop portion 25 to move below the stop linger 28. lVhen sufficient yarn is present the detector will be prevented from moving to the right when said stop portion 25 frees the stop finger 28 and the spring 19 is placed under additional strain. As soon as the momentum ol the weighted arms 24.- is spent the spring 19 will extend to restore the actuator 22 to its'normal position relatively to the transiterrer arm causing the stop poi'- tion 25 to move in the path oi' the stop finger 28. This action takes place very shortly after the transi'errer arm has arrived at the bottom otl its stroke and before the transferi'er arm has risen lar enough to permit the teeth 32 to move away from the yarn on the bobbin. l

When insufficient yarn tor continued weaving is present, however, the detector teeth 32 will not be held by the surface being detected against horizontal movement and as the stop portion 25 nieves away from the stop tingeijl 28 and the spring 19 is placed under additional strain the detector 'and its carrier 26 together with the plunger 14 will he moved to the right or to the indicating position shown in F ig. 2, the stop finger 28 passing between the weighted arms 24 and the detector moving horizontally in the lork 4-5. VJhen the transterrer arm is at the bottom of its stroke on an indicating beat o' the loom therefore the plunger will be move/t to the right to lieunder the iiidicating lever 18 and as the transferrer arm nieves upwardly said plunger will rock the indicating lever as described in the aforesaid patent to Ryon. Upon continued upward movement ot the trans'lerier arm the plunger 11i will engage an inclined cani face G0 on the indicating leverwhich will cause said plunger to be moved to the le'lit against the action ot spring 19 to move them stop .finger 28 out oi" vertical alignn'ient with the stop portion "5 lVhen this latter action 2o. takes place the spring 19V will move the actuator 22 in a clockwise direction around the pin 23 .to restore the parts to normal position with the stop portion 25 positioned to limit movement ot the finger 28 and therewith the plunger 14;.

From the foregoing it will be. seen that l have provided a weft detecting elementinounted to slide relativelyto the transineirer arm and so arranged iiorinally'to bein raised position and it willalso be seen that n CLS i may the depressor levei acts to yieldingly move the indicating element downwardly into en? gagen'ient with the yarn prior to the movement of the stop portion of the actuator away from the stop finger of the carri-er.

Having thus described my invention it will be seen that changes and modifications be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed` but what I claim is: n

1. In weft detecting mechanism for a loom having a regularly moving transferrer arm provided with an indicating plunger normally in non-indicating position, a detector carrier slidably mounted relatively to the transferrer arm and operatively connected thereto said carrier being movable in a direction substantially parallel to the siiiface being detected, a detecting element inovably mounted in the carrier and held yieldingly in raised position, a depressor element to lower the detecting element relatively to the carrier during the downward movement of the transferrer arm, and means operative after the detector has engaged the surface to be detected tending to move said carrier in the direction of the length of the surface being detected, and movement being pre vented when the detector engages a sufficient supply of weft.

2. In weft detectingr mechanism for a loom having a regularly moving transferrer arm provided with an indicating plunger normally in non-indicating position, a detector carrier slidably mounted relatively to the transferrer larm and operatively connected thereto, said carrier being movable in a direction substantially parallel to the surface being detected, a vertically disposed detecting element supported by and movable relatively to the carrier, yielding means holdingthe detecting element normally in raised position relatively to the cariier, depressing means operative during the downward movement of the transf-errer arm to act against the yielding means and lower the detecting element relatively to the carrier, and means effective after the detector element has been moved fo low position tendingto move the detector along the surface being detected in a direction substantially parallel. to the latter, and movement being` prevented when the detector engages a sufficient supply of weft.

3. In a weft detector for a loom having a regularly moving transferrer arm provided with an indicating plungerslidably mounted on the ti'ansferrer arm and normalliy1 in nonindicating position, a detector carrier secured to and moving with the indicating plunger in a direction substantially parallel to the length of the surface being` detected,

a vertically disposed weft detecting element length of the surface being element slidably mounted on the carrier,

mounted in the carrier for relative movement with respect thereto, yielding means to hold the detector element normally in raised position relatively to the carrier, means to lower the detector element relatively to the carrier during the downward movement of Vthe tiansferrer arm, and means to thereafter tend to move the detector carrier and indicating plunger' parallel to the length of the surface being detected, and movement being prevented when the detector engages a sufficient supply of weft. f'

4. In a weft detector for a loom having a regularly moving transferrer arm provided with an indicating plunger slidably mounted on the transferrer arm and normally in nonindicating position, a detector carrier secured Ato and movable with the indicating plunger in a direction substantially parallel to the u detected, a detecting iyielding means vvto hold'the detector rnormally in raised position relatively to the carrier, a depressor lever pivotally mounted on the transferrer armv and having operative contact with the detector element, said yielding` means tending also to hold the depressor lever in normally raised position, means to lower the depressor lever to cause the detecting elementv to move downwardly relatively to the carrier during the downward movement of the transferrer arm, and means thereafter tending to move the cai'- rier and indicating plunger together with the detecting element in a direction substantially parallel to the surface being detected, and movement being prevented when the detector engages a sufficient supply of weft. i y

5. In a weft detecting mechanism for a loom having a regularly ymoving transferrer arm carrying anv indicating plunger noi'- in a direction substantially` mally in nonfindicating position, a detector carrier mounted to have sliding movement relatively to the transferrer armlin a direction substantially,parallel to the length of the surface being detected, aside slipping weft detector mounted on the carrier, yielding meansto hold the detector normally in raised position,

means effective during the downward movement of the transferrer arm to lower the detecting element action of the yielding means to the carrier, andA means thereafter tending to move the detector along the surface being. ier at substantial exhaus-A detected, said cari tion of Yweft moving with the detector in a direction ysubstantially parallel to the surface being detected and causing movement of the indicating plunger from non-indi eating toindicating position.

against thel an d relatively In testimony whereof I have hereunto af- Y fixed my signature.

KENNETH J. UNwiN, 

